Vehicle-wheel.



T. RHODUSQ VEHICLE WHEEL.

FILED FEB-15.191

APPLICATION v 3. 1,1 59,091, Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5, 1913.

1,159,091. Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

VII/Jill 17/1714 4 :1 h

IMW r 29 THOMAS raucous/r, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fil ed February 15, 1913. Serial No; 748,609.

To all whom it may 00mm: 7

Be it known that I. THOMAS RIIoDUs, a

citizen of the United States of America, and" a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-VVheels,

Y of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to that type of elastic rim wheels in which the outer annular tread member of the wheel comprises a series of spring supported sector shaped pieces of suitable wear resisting material: And the present improvement has for its object to provide a simple and efficient structural for-.

mation and disposition of parts whereby the series of sector shaped tread pieces are yield ingly returned to a normal concentric relation to the axis of the wheel, after the tread -member, comprising said tread pieces, has

been flattened and distorted in actual use under the imposition of varying loads, and .in a manner whlch read1ly"abs0rbs shocks and cushions the load onthe wheel. And which in addition does not retard the distortion of the tread member 1n actual use, so

that there is obtained a maximumuti'lization of the resilient qualities of the spring meme her or members by which the series of tread.

pieces are yieldin'gly' supported in true and normal concentric relation to the axis of the" wheel, all as will hereinafter more fully ap-" pear.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1, is an elevation of a vehicle wheel embodying one form of the present invention. Fig;

2, is a detail transverse section'of the outer" portion of the same on line 00 0,Fig; 1. Fig. 3, is an elevation of a vehicle' wheel illustrating another fo'rmof the present invention. Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail section on line m'w'. Figs. 3 and 5; Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4:. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged detail sections illustrating modifications of the detail construction and arrangement 'of' parts of the present invention.

, Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

' The present invention 1s equally appIiQ c'ableto a vehicle wheel of the ordinary construction and comprising the usual central hub 1, the series of radial spokes 2, and the rim or felly portion 3, asillustratedmore particularly in Fig. 3. Or to a vehicle wheel of a special construction, in which the hereinaf-ter described series of radiaflf abutment wasted Noe. 2,1915.

bars or members take the place'of the o'rdil nary spokes 2 of the wheel, as illustrated in Fig 1. In such construction the ordinary rlm or felly 3 of the wheel is also dispensed with, and in consequence of said omissions greater lightness and economy in manufac ture can be attained.

In the present improvement, 4'is a circular ring shape spring member preferably of the fiat band type shown. Said spring member has a diameter greater than that of the wheel felly '3, aforesaid, and. is normally held outside the same in concentric relation with said felly by abutting means hereinafter described in detail. In the main forms of the present improvement, duplicate andcounten part spring members 4E,are preferably employed and disposed in adjacent relation to 1 I the opposite faces of the flexible tread menr her hereinafter described, and as shown in the drawings; And while it is'withinthei scope of thispart of the present improve ment to form e'ach e'ndless spring member 45* from a-flat'strip of metal bent and welded into a circularand' endless spring band, it is preferable however to form the spring mem 1 ber by a series of 'such en'dle'ss bands a rranged one within the other or by a combi nation of such bands,as shown in the different figures of the drawings the number and arrangement jdependingon the degree of elasticity required, and the loajd that to be carried.

5 area series of blocks of anyflii ihf gi' a leslstmg ls an whi h 7 pref bly:- have a sector shapeas shown,- an dpar sembled end to end to form a' sectionalan- 'nular ring andconstitute the outer flexible? tread member of the presentconstruction; The main portion of said outer flexible tread. member is arranged to "the outside .of the circular springmemberor members it, above described, and adaptedto have inward ra-f dial bearing engagementagainstsaidflspring' member or members 4 ,so that with a'radia'l inward movement'of a portion of said flex ible treacl, memberunder i q d 5 the circular sp ring member .or members 4' w1ll be also flexed lnwardly at" such point andjcause a correspond ng outward dist-or tion or bulging of-,;adj acent portions of said 7 spring member or membersfl V I i As before mentioned, the duplicate [and counterpart spring memb'ersl', are arranged at .the respective inner and outer faces'of'the flexible sectional" tread' -memberl de-f scribed, and approximately flush with said faces as shown. In orderthat the spring members 4 may have direct, and positive connection with said flexible tread member, for both simultaneous inward and outward ra dial movements, grooves 6 are formed in the side walls of the series of sector shaped blocks 5, into which the circular spring members 4 are fitted, and held in place by means hereinafter described.

7 are a series of radially disposed abutment forming bars or members, fixedly secured at their inner ends to the wheel center inv any ordinary and suitable manner, and either by attachment to the peripheral flanges of the hub 1, as shown in Fig. 1, or

to the wheel rim or felly 3, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In the latter case, the attachment is preferably attained by transverse clamping bolts 8 and 9, as shown. Said abutment bars or members 7 have their outer portions disposed in opposed relation, and adjacent to the respective outer and inner faces of the flexible tread member and spring members before described, and for the variouspurposes of providing a series of holding abutments for the circular spring members 4, to maintain said spring members as well as the sections 5 comprising the flexible tread mem her in normal concentric relation to the axis of the vehicle wheel to prevent any circular creeping of the flexible tread member upon the wheel center, and to prevent lateral displacement of the flexible tread member and the spring members with relation to the wheel center. In order to attain practical results there should be not less than three radially extending abutment bars or members 7, nor so many as to interfere with the necessary bulging of the spring members 4, when under load. In the preferred forms shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a series of six of said abutment bars or members are shown, as

best adapted for general use.

At their outer ends the aforesaid abutment bars or members 7 have engagement with the immediately adjacent tread forming blocks 5, in a manner which permits of limited independent radial movement between the parts. In the preferred form of engagement shown in Figs- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, inturned lugs or flanges 10, on the outer ends of the bars 7, are adapted tohave the above mentioned limited movement in recesses 11, formed in the walls or faces of the adjoining tread forming blocks 5, as shown.

In the modified construction shown in Y Figs. 6 and 9, lateral lugs 12, extending outwardly from the walls of adjacent blocks 5 endless flexible tread of rubber or like material, the receiving grooves 6, for the spring members 4, being of the undercut form showmand having only two walls instead of the three walls in the preferred construction heretofore described.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 7, transverse bolts 14 extend between the outer ends of opposed pairs of the abutment bars or members 7, and said bolts have the described limited movement in radially disposed slots 15, in the adjacent outer tread forming blocks 5.

In the type of spring member illustrated in Fig. 7 the same formation and arrange ment as that described in connection with Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 prevails, with the addi tion of a reserve resilient means, which only comes into effective action after a predetermined distortion of the main spring takes place, and to such end comprises, an endless spring band 4 of less diameter thanthe inner diameter of the outer flexible tread member of the present construction, said endless spring band 4 being supported in a normal concentric and inactive position by abutment offsets 18' formed in the series of radial abutment bars or members 7, aforesa1 The type of spring members 4, illustrated in Fig. 8, is more especially adapted for heavy loads, and comprises, in addition to the series of endless spring bands which have engagement in the before described annular side groooves 6 of the tread forming blocks 5, two auxiliary and intermediate but narrower spring bands 4, and a single inner spring band 4 of some width and common to both series of auxiliary series of bands 4 aforesaid.

'As in the construction set forth in my former Patent No. 1,025,483, dated May 7, 1912, when the wheel is not under load, the annular spring member or members 4 are 1n engagement with the abutment bars 7, either directly or indirectly through the series of outer tread forming blocks 5, and are concentric with the wheel axis. As the wheel rolls over the road under load, the lower portion of the outer flexible tread member and the hub of the wheel approach each other, and the adjacent portions of the spring member or members 4 are correspondingly flattened with a consequent outward distortion of the other portions of said spring members not in engagement with the abutment bars. And the resistance of said spring members to such flattening and distortion is adapted to absorb the shocks due to irregularities in the roadway and provide, an easy riding structure.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a plurality of ring shape metal 1 spring members disposed in lateral spaced relation and encircling the wheel center, an outer flexible tread member formed with annular grooves for the reception of the spring members, and means at circumferential intervals for holding the associated tread and spring members in operative relation to the wheel center, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a plurality of ring shape metal spring members disposed in'lateral spaced relation and encircling the wheel center, means at circumferential intervals for holding the spring members in operative relation to the wheel center, an outer flexible tread member comprising a series of blocks, and means for holding said spring members in laterally spaced relation to each other and in working relation to the series of blocks aforesaid, substantially as set forth.

8. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a plurality of ring shape metal spring members disposed in lateral spaced relation and encircling the wheel center, an outer flexible tread member comprising a series of blocks formed with annular grooves for the reception of the spring members,

- and means at circumferential intervals for holding the associated tread and spring members in operative relation to the Wheel center, substantially as set forth.

4. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a plurality of ring shape metal spring members of a flat form in cross-section disposed in lateral spaced relation and encircling the wheel center, an outer flexi ble tread member formed with annular grooves for the reception of the spring mem- Copies of this patent may be obtained for bers, and means at circumferential intervals for holding the associated tread and spring members in operative relation to the wheel center, substantially as set forth.

5. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a plurality of ring shape metal spring members of a fiat form in cross-sec tion disposed in lateral spaced relation and encircling the Wheel center, an outer flexible tread member comprising a series of blocks formed with annular grooves for the reception of the spring members, and means at circumferential intervalsfor holding the associated tread and spring members in operative relation tothe Wheel center, substantially as set forth. a

6. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel center, a plurality of spring members encircling the wheel center, anlouter flexible tread member associated with the spring members and comprising a series of blocks formed with annular grooves in their side Walls for the reception of the spring members, and meansfor holding the associated tread and spring members in operative relation to the wheel center, the same comprising a series of radial extensions on the wheel center connected to the assoc ated tread and spring members by means which admit of limited independent movement between said members and the wheel center, F

substantially as set forth.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 13th day of February, 1913. I i

, THOMAS RHODUS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

